http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/ en Kanetix.com Copyright 2010 2010-04-30T11:31:00-05:00 The author provides hypothetical situations concerning the particulars of car accidents and its effects for every claim. http://us.imourado.kanetix.com/pics/kanetix_logo.gif http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/filing-car-insurance-claims-3-hypothetical-situations/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/filing-car-insurance-claims-3-hypothetical-situations/#When:11:31:00Z Every car accident is different in its own right. There are single-vehicle accidents and multiple car collisions, ones that cause major damages while others that leave mere scratches, and accidents that leave those involved with life-threatening injuries compared to those who walk away injury-free. The unique circumstances of each accident will help influence how a claim is filed with your auto insurance provider so ensure that you have the cheapest car insurance rates in the event you are ever in an accident. 2010-04-30T11:31:00-05:00 The author delves into the most common mistakes people make when purchasing life insurance.  Additionally, the author examines some smart considerations for making smart life insurance investments. http://us.imourado.kanetix.com/pics/kanetix_logo.gif http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/top-5-life-insurance-mistakes/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/top-5-life-insurance-mistakes/#When:20:49:00Z To err is human, but some mistakes are certainly costlier than others.  In this article the author delves into the most common mistakes people make when purchasing life insurance. Additionally, you’ll see some wise considerations for making smart life insurance investments.  This article is particularily useful to someone considering making some financial plans, or someone interested in a life insurance investment. 2010-02-17T20:49:00-05:00 Some people are already aware that insurance companies calculate car insurance rates based on risk factors.  Not surprisingly, risk is something that insurance companies calculate.  Risk directly influences how much they believe it will cost to insure you. http://www.kanetix.com/auto-insurance http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/your-driving-and-your-car-insurance-rates/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/your-driving-and-your-car-insurance-rates/#When:18:14:00Z The criteria insurance companies use to calculate your risk factor often includes: demographics like age, gender, and location how far you drive driving record/accident history There are many discounts that can frequently be applied after risk factors have been determined.  Near the top of the list are: good driver discounts, anti-theft device discounts, multi-car discounts, and low-mileage discounts. For a better understanding of how your risk is assessed, we invite you to read our article: your car insurance rates and your driving record. 2010-01-20T18:14:00-05:00 Finding out which group is actually the better or worse driver is not quite as simple to determine as many would suspect, and a better understanding requires much more than just looking at simply the number of tickets and accidents one group gets over another. http://www.kanetix.com http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/best-and-worst-drivers-are-they-men-women-teens-or-seniors/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/best-and-worst-drivers-are-they-men-women-teens-or-seniors/#When:17:24:00Z All sorts of things can be considered like: * Who drives more often? * Does the type of vehicle matter? * Who drives the most in terms of distance? * What time of day is each group likely to drive? Teenage drivers have always been saddled with a bad reputation when it comes to driving, and most of us have been exposed to jokes about women drivers who can’t park, or get involved in fender-benders, but it would seem that men are more likely to be involved in an accident or get a ticket. So, what’s really going on here? For a deeper exploration of this topic, we invite you to read our article: Best and Worst Drivers - Men, Women, Teens or Seniors? 2009-12-04T17:24:00-05:00 Many insurance companies have a ranking system in place, a so called “tier system”, that helps to determines how much you pay for certain kinds of insurance based on what your credit score is. In combination with other factors, if your credit score is poor, you may pay more, and conversely, if your credit score is good, you may get a much lower rate. http://www.kanetix.com http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/tough-times-for-insurance-buyers-with-low-credit-scores/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/tough-times-for-insurance-buyers-with-low-credit-scores/#When:18:16:00Z According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Credit scores help insurance companies “better match the risk of loss that consumers pose, so higher-risk consumers pay higher premiums and lower-risk consumers pay lower premiums.” “[Credit] Scores permit insurers to evaluate risk with greater accuracy, which may make them more willing to offer insurance to higher-risk consumers for whom they otherwise would not be able to determine an appropriate premium.” Spokespersons for insurance companies say their research clearly demonstrates that people’s credit scores are a good indication of how likely they will be to file claims and otherwise increase costs to the insurance industry. For example, they say that people with poor credit are more likely to let their insurance payments lapse. So, while you may have a driving record to be proud of, unfortunately, it may not help you that much if you have a poor credit score. Click the link to find out more about your insurance credit score and what you can do about it. 2009-10-09T18:16:00-05:00 Ahh - to be a newlywed! What a wonderful time in a person’s life. There are only a few occasions that are considered defining moments in a person’s life, and getting married is certainly one of them. However, while starting a new life together is certainly exciting, it can also be quite overwhelming because there can be an avalanche of new responsibilities to deal with. Perhaps one of the most important of which is your newly shared financial obligations. You may find that one of you is the “saver” and the other one is the “spender”, or perhaps one of you is carrying a heavy debt load while the other has little or no debt. Perhaps there are children from a previous marriage that need support, or maybe you are planning to start a family together soon. Simply put, there’s no getting around the fact that you’ll have to come to some kind of understanding and agreement regarding your newly combined financial life if you would like a shot at enjoying the “happily ever after” part. http://www.kanetix.com http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/newlywed-want-to-show-your-true-love-just-how-much-they-really-mean-to-you/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/newlywed-want-to-show-your-true-love-just-how-much-they-really-mean-to-you/#When:21:05:00Z For a newlywed, discussing insurance with your partner may not seem like the romantic thing to be doing, but the reality is that buying adequate insurance coverage to protect yourself and your partner from some of life’s unforeseen risks can be one of the most loving acts you can do for each other. Clearly insurance is not a topic most newlyweds want to spend much time thinking or talking about, but unfortunately, as we all know, the unthinkable does sometimes happen - we hear about accidents and tragedies almost every day. The possibility of dying prematurely or becoming injured or disabled and leaving behind a spouse to cope with the financial aftermath is a risk that no loving husband or wife would want to put their partner or other dependents through. So, want to show your newlywed true love just how much they really mean to you?: “Buy the right insurance coverage!” Sounds strange, but believe it or not, it is one of the most loving things a newlywed couple can do for each other. Click the following link to learn more about 4 Critical Types Of Insurance For Newlyweds. 2009-07-31T21:05:00-05:00 For many parents, their child’s teenage years can be a financially challenging time, especially when it comes to car insurance. Teenage drivers are profiled by auto insurers as a much higher risk group than the general public, and are instantly saddled with considerably higher insurance rates than someone who is over 25, has been driving for a while, and has a clean driving record.  http://www.kanetix.com http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/teen-car-insurance-lessons-for-parents-and-teens/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/teen-car-insurance-lessons-for-parents-and-teens/#When:21:20:00Z While this may seem unfair to some, it is based on the reality that teen car and motorcycle drivers represent a significantly greater risk to the insurance companies (who lose money when they have to pay out on claims) than drivers with a solid driving history behind them. Unfortunately, the statistics support the bias against teenage drivers. Throw in a couple of speeding tickets into the mix, and you (or your teenager) may not even be able to afford the premiums, and driving a car may be out of the question for your teenager for a long time to come. That said, there are some things that parents (and teens) can do to help make the costs more manageable. Click on the link to discover more about what can help to Lower the cost of teen car insurance 2009-05-21T21:20:00-05:00 At the time of writing this post (Feb 2009), the financial news has been especially bleak for months, with constant talk of various financial collapses, government bailouts, stimulus packages and job losses in the hundreds of thousands. Phew! - pretty upsetting and nasty stuff. Many people are even wondering if their car insurance would stand the test of a claim. http://www.kanetix.com http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/the-financial-crisis-and-your-auto-insurer/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/the-financial-crisis-and-your-auto-insurer/#When:00:14:00Z Thankfully this is one financial worry that you need not have, and in our article ”The Financial Crisis And Your Auto Insurer: Will They Be Able To Pay Your Claim?“ we separate the facts from the fear, and explain the support structure that has been put in place to all but guarantee that legitimate claims will be paid. It’s good to know that even with the prophets of doom preaching financial Armageddon any day now, your car insurance will likely remain intact. 2009-02-27T00:14:00-05:00 Of course, everyone knows by now that smoking is bad for you. It’s apparently even bad for those around you. It’s bad, bad, bad. Everyone says so. You’ve heard it so many times now that you’re numb and immune to the anti smoking crusaders cries of . . . But what if you’ve tried to quit and found that being without your smokes made things unbearable for you and everyone around you? What if you’ve tried and failed so many times that you’ve lost count and given up, resolving that in your case, the world is better off with you being a smoker. Term Life Insurance Quotes http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/life-insurance-and-your-smoking-habit/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/life-insurance-and-your-smoking-habit/#When:20:54:01Z Or what if you’ve decided that you enjoy your smoking habit too much to quit. For you, it’s like hanging out with an old friend, and as long as it’s still a free country, you plan to indulge in your habit until you either expire from a nasty smoking related disease or get hit by a bus or whatever - but you’re not stopping because you simply enjoy having a smoke from time to time. Maybe you’re an ex smoker - recently quit. If so, congratulations! There’s much good to be said for giving it up. Well, smokers and ex smokers have spouses and children and other family members and other loved ones, and they also need life insurance. Sure it’s going to cost more - you know that already, but having said that, how do you go about getting the best deal for your life insurance dollars? Click here to learn more about life insurance for smokers and ex smokers. 2008-12-18T20:54:01-05:00 As every car driver knows (or should know), driving under the influence carries significant risks to the driver as well as to others on the road. http://www.kanetix.com http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/what-happens-with-your-car-insurance-if-youre-caught-driving-under-the-infl/ http://www.kanetix.com/insurance-blog/index.php/site/what-happens-with-your-car-insurance-if-youre-caught-driving-under-the-infl/#When:21:22:00Z Additionally, severe penalties can be applied by various governmental agencies and insurance companies, to the person who flouts the law and gets caught driving while impaired. Why in this day and age, anyone would want to take such risk with nothing to gain is completely beyond us. However, if you’re curious about what happens with your vehicle insurance after being caught Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and want to know about things like SR-22 insurance, please read our article: Driving Under The Influence (DUI) And Car Insurance Don’t Mix 2008-11-17T21:22:00-05:00